We hunt with pretty much the basics..longbows and recurves, no cover scents,no range finders,no gadets on the bows!

Although we do have some nice sleeping Indian wools and do carry a GPS, but I consider that to be a insurance policy where we hunt because the weather changes so often and its easy to get wet and cold and turned around in the dark.

Dianna

beaverjack you have brought up a good point on hunting gizmos, but I will bring up two things in addition:

1. Probably some of the best white tail hunters over all were the native americans, I have heard that some of them were not even allowed to hunt until they had plucked hair from a live deer!!!! They had no camo, they had no cover scents, heck all they had was a bow and their brains.

2. Most of the hunting gizmos are just something to sell and useless in regards to getting a deer, I will say this, there are a few of them that when used by a knowledgeable hunter will truely increase his number of kills, calls used properly will turn a deer in the heart beat, but by the same token used incorrectly they will spook a deer just as quickly.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

But if a man increases his kills through the use of gizmos, are they not diminished? Used to be my grandaddy would say thet I would know I was a hunter when I kilt a whitetail buck in his bed. He didn't mean do it from 500 yards with a spotting scope and a beanfield rifle. Fellers usin' such devices are missin' out on what it is to hunt. Tradition an' skill are part of hunting. Otherwise, its just shootin' animated targets.

BJ

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I think it all depends on the kind of gizmos one uses. It is good to know and use the old skills and I use them wherever it is feasible. But unfortunately we live in an age where the old skills are not as workable as they used to be. For example, there was a time when a hunter could in almost every place walk into the wilderness and take a drink from a nearby stream when he grew thirsty. That time is gone. So, I use a gizmo (camelback, for example) that helps me carry lots of water comfortably so that I can stay in the woods longer. Gizmos that help you sit comfortably for 14 hours are gizmos I also think can have a respectable place in a hunter's arsenal. The same applies to gizmos (boots) that can help you walk 10 miles comfortably without wet feet and blisters. I really like gizmos that help you stay warm in subzero temps (It's just no longer that efficient to kill a sheep or bear and wear the skin <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>).

But I certainly understand the point against a lot of gizmos (perhaps most of them). Many products simply exist to allow hunters the pleasure of never having to learn good wood and hunting skills. I gotta tell you I experience a little vicarious embarrassment whenever I look in a catalog and see electronic deer and duck calling systems with loud speakers and stuff like that. Eeeeeew! There are also some things that hunters commonly use that I won't use because they are designed too much for &quot;deer attracting&quot; and not enough for &quot;deer hunting.&quot; The gadgets I enjoy are virtually all of them made to help me stay longer in the woods so that I can do there what I like to do - live in, enjoy and hunt in the woods.

LOL.... Good post. Brings back memories of fishing offshore in mid 80's. We were about 37 miles out of Barnegat Inlet and another boat comes up and asks us if we had the Loran numbers to inlet. We told them no ,that we had no Loran and a look of amazement and shock came over thier faces.
I have to admit some &quot;hi tech&quot; stuff I enjoy. Gore tex outer shells are one with gore tex line boots. But as far as GPS's, scent blocking clothes , robo ducks etc, biggest waste of money is. I guess all the game I shot over the years just didn't realize they weren't supposed to let themselves be shot because I wasn't decked out with the lastest equipment. I've found a good wool outfit and good personal hygene works as good today as it has in the past.

Don't believe in personal hygiene myself. Real overrated lessn' yer cruisin' topless joints gettin' lap dances. I do believe in wool over fleece, oil cloth over goretex, an' leather over plastic. Otherwise, I'd be sleepin' with a blow-up doll 'stead of these leathery injun wimmins I keep wakin' up with.

BJ

Perspective is everything I guess. I thought I was going high tech with a compound bow, sights & release.

For scent control I use Arm & Hammer baking soda and water. I prefer to hunt from the ground using a folding chair and camo netting. Still hunting is my favorite thing so I travel light.

Other things I take advantage of: replaceable blades for broadheads, Wyoming knife w/ replaceable blade, mini binoculars, mini flashlight and camo everything.

I resist the urge to buy gear in the off season because I've watched myself collect alot of stuff that I use once or twice. Besides, I like to become one with my gear. The older it is, the better I like it and trust it.

all i use is a bear recurve bow make my own arrow's cedarshaft's, the only hitec is the broadheads which are muzzy's, to each his own if it help's you be a better hunter than use it. goodluck to all fellow hunters out there

Here in my part of Canada, it can get down right nasty cold(-30 plus the wind factor)sometimes so our priority is cold weather gear.Then comes the usual stuff, Compass, whistle,small flares,food, drink,knife, rifle/bow, ammo, etc. My hunting partners and I are all in our 50s. We have all been hunting for roughly 40 years each and have done quite well without all the fancy gizmos you see today. We just don`t seem to need them.

Ron<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Let em land!